Condensed and Curated.

Canadian Supreme Court Repeals ‘Tough on Crime’ Legislation.

The supreme court of Canada has ruled that two so called ‘tough on crime’ pieces of legislation that the previous Conservative government had enacted are unconstitutional and will be struck down.

The first piece of legislation required that all drug related offences carry a mandatory one year minimum sentence and was overturned in a 6-3 vote. The court found that it casted a far too broad net that would greatly affect not only those who were found guilty of serious drug offences but also those “much less blameworthy”.

The second piece of legislation prevented those who are denied bail from receiving the normal 1.5 day credit for each day they were held before being sentenced. The credit system exists because the pre-sentencing conditions people are held in are often harsh and have no access to usual programs.

In a press conference following the supreme court rulings, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented that while some mandatory minimums are reasonable, like in a case of murder, the previous Conservative government had taken the concept to far.